For moment, it read like Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong finally got the
message. In the context of the disruption 117 bus drivers can inflict on
our public transportation, anyone else would experience an epiphany of
sorts.

Instead, he was was using Bloomberg's editor-in-chief Matthew Winkler to
peddle his "population growth is connected to immigration and economic
growth" poison. Winkler had asked if there was anything Lee would have
done differently since he took charge of the Government in 2004. His
answer - should have addressed the ageing population issues earlier.

Somehow he missed out on the other developments in the human race.
People also get married, have kids, grandchildren, all in the natural
order of things. Except when the cycle of life is disrupted by unnatural
eugenic theories of social engineering that turn a nation on its head.

Instead of countering alleged misinformation and inaccurate blog posts,
and comments on social media by putting out accurate information and
robustly defending its record with more speech, this PAP Government has
chosen to suppress such opinions and remarks by threatening those that
made them with lawyer's letters.

Considering the fact that this Government can make use of the mainstream
media to correct any of the alleged inaccuracies, which's readership
and reach are much higher than any of the blogs or individual
commenters; and also the fact that most (if not all) blogs which
published such information or opinion, will gladly remove that content,
and publish any information the Government sends to them to clarify the
inaccuracy which appeared on their blog, the practice chosen by this
Government is regrettable.

The Real Singapore is in trouble again, again be happy! TRS has been
posting shit for some time and it is about time it gets into shit
itself. Again. Shit goes around! TRS is like the old Temasek Review, plagiarise and even post fake news,
which is super weak. If they wanted to attract eyeballs and eventually
ad money, just go for sex and sleaze. There is no need to fake and copy
news, which is just the excuse the PAP wants to focus on in labeling any
news sites out there as lacking credibility and sensationalist. BTW TRS
is not the only one plagiarising - Temasek Times and Occupy Singapore do it too. Hey, is there one same person behind all these sites? LOL

Meanwhile, the former loaded surgeon turned loaded PAP minister was
pissed with a recent TRS article on Mindef where TRS mixed plagiarism and fake news, a TRS first, or at least the first time TRS was found out.
The defence minister has sent Davinder Singh, the PAP's elite
lawyer-commando-sniper to take out TRS. TRS can't hide, can run and
would only die tired.

TRS was recently kind enough to say Alex Tan
and Yang Kaiheng are no longer in it. At least TRS has integrity to
protect the innocent. Oh? Hmmmm or more like they are nervous that their
charade is up and instead trying to pretend they not involved in it
anymore? Everything sounds more and more like the old Temasek Review
where the doctor insisted that he was no longer involved and had sold it
off to someone else which he does not know. Sure. Whatever.

The question of opposition unity is an indispensable element in facing
the PAP in GE2016. In the last General Election in GE2011 there was a
three-cornered contest in the Punggol East SMC. Ii was a straight fight
between PAP and the opposition in all the other constituencies which
showed a credible unity among the opposition. In GE2016 there should not
be any three-cornered contest to show complete unity among the
opposition.

The possible entry of Chee Soon Juan, Secretary-General of the Singapore
Democratic Party, into the fray in 2016 will be a welcome development
since his bankruptcy has been annulled leaving him free to stand in
elections again. That he has stressed the importance of opposition unity
in the next GE in 2016 is a timely reminder to opposition parties to
sink whatever differences they may have in the larger interest of the
public, the electorate sympathetic to them.

It is mind-boggling if there cannot be complete unity in the opposition
camp in facing the PAP in GE2016. The present prognosis of the political
situation is assessed to be in favour of the opposition because of the
iniquities of the PAP policies and the opposition parties should not
overlook this golden opportunity to nurture this favourable development
to their political advantage when GE2016 comes around.This has not
escaped the attention of the PAP leadership who are working strenously
to try to salvage the unfavourable situation by introducing such
novelties as the National Conversation in order to appease the
Singaporeans' wrath.

Odd that we get emotional when we’re
ranked No. 1 emotion-less country. I mean, why do we even care that we
don’t wear our heart on our sleeves, tear our hair out and breathe fire?
We are a cool, calm and collected nation.

Underneath, we are a cauldron
of burning passion. I mean, just look at the sex scandals we’re been
exposed to so far

In any case, Gallup is asking all the wrong questions about whether we smiled yesterday and all that. It should be asking this:

Huffington Post UK, 12 Nov 2012
Life at university is about finding that balance between work and play.
Indeed, mastering the art of doing this is a tricky and delicate affair,
and very few people ever manage to do it.

But quite honestly, very few
people even try. Many, like me, get so thoroughly absorbed into the work
at university that it is the only thing we see and value. We score
brilliantly (or die trying) in the written exams and forget that
academic results are not everything.

University is a place of learning
and learning takes place in all shapes and forms, often beyond the
classroom. Full story

What is the case all about between Ng Boon Gay and Cecilia Sue? Is it a
case about promiscuity or about corruption? So far the case is more
about detailed sexual acts, explicit, implicit, lewd, perversion, and
nearly everything there is to make an X rated movie sell. The corruption
part seems to be less important and superficially treated. It is like a
violent movie with all the gore and blood with little care to the plot.

I think the censorship board should be called in to snip some of the
scenes from being published in the main media or people may think that
it is an evening paper or some wanbao.

Should the media also be rated for certain news like PG, under 18, under 16 like in the cinemas or on TV?

It is still amazing that 51 adults have had their lives ruined, some
sent to jail, others with careers hanging in limbo, and yet not a single
soul has dared leak the identity of the under aged slut who caused so
much pain. The school kids are not guarding anything similar, just the
name of the top scorer for this year's Primary School Leaving
Examination (PSLE) results. It must be real stressful for a youngster to
be placed with so great a responsibility. Ironically, the 48,333 Dragon
Year born students who took the test aren't acting very dragonish.

The adults, especially those running the lucrative private tuition
business, are taking the gag order more seriously. The last thing they
need is to be black balled by the Ministry of Education. They probably
have to whisper the information to enquiring parents on a need to know
basis, they can tell you, but they will have to shoot you aftwards.

For the first time yesterday, the word "strike" was used to describe the
actions of the SMRT bus drivers who refused to work in protest against
salary increments.

The absence of the word from media
reports led to questions from members of the public and others online
about why it was not used.

At a press conference yesterday,
Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin explained that this was because
the Government needed time to ascertain the facts of the incident, as
well as the rules and regulations provided under the law.

The Government sharply rebuked the SMRT bus drivers who refused to
return to work yesterday, a day after they had staged a similar protest,
saying they had "clearly crossed the line" by staging an illegal
strike.

Chastising them for "taking matters into their own
hands", Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said the Government had
zero tolerance for the drivers' actions because they had disrupted an
essential service and affected the daily life of the community, as well
as hurt Singapore's industrial harmony.

Their illegal
conduct will be investigated, he said at a press conference called
yesterday evening after 88 drivers refused to take to the wheel.

NTUC has issued a statement in response to the Government's updates on the issue of the SMRT-bus drivers dispute:

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) supports the actions taken
by the Government. It is important to send a clear signal to all workers
that as a nation ruled by law, there are proper ways of dealing with
issues and disagreement

Any action that is illegal must and will be dealt with firmly, regardless of whether the workers are local or foreign.

Singapore's first strike in 26 years ended Wednesday
when mainland Chinese bus drivers demanding higher pay reported for duty
after two days of protest that angered the city-state's government.

State-linked transport operator SMRT said the rate of attendance of
its bus drivers on Wednesday was "back to normal and all our bus
services are running as scheduled".

It said 20 of the drivers were "assisting the police" in an
investigation after their action was declared illegal by the manpower
ministry, which warned that anyone found guilty could be fined or jailed
for up to a year.

Drivers back at work but saga's not overSMRT bus drivers on the 4am first shuttle bus to work yesterday morning.
Some drivers who returned to work after the strike said they did so for
fear of going without a salary. Photo by DON WONG

Bus services operated by SMRT ran as scheduled yesterday as its China
drivers got behind the wheel, after a two-day illegal strike over their
pay and living conditions.

The dust, however, has yet to
settle, as 20 of the 171 drivers involved in the illegal strike are
assisting the police with their investigations into possible breaches of
the law. Under the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act, essential
service workers cannot go on strike unless they give their employers 14
days' notice of their intention. Contacted last night, a police
spokesperson said it was unable to comment further as an investigation
is ongoing and should be allowed to "run its course".

Some
who returned to work yesterday said they did so for fear of going
without a salary, while others took heed of the management's promise to
get back to them on their demands. Six drivers who did not turn up for
work yesterday morning had valid reasons for being absent, SMRT said.

Most of the bus
drivers involved in an illegal strike over a pay dispute have returned
to work except for six who had valid medical reasons.Providing
an update at a media conference, transport operator SMRT said that 20
bus drivers from China and SMRT personnel are assisting the police in
their investigations.

SMRT added that disciplinary action will be
taken against those who didn't turn up for work and didn't have valid
reasons but did not disclose what the disciplinary action would include.

Singapore police stood watch at a workers' dormitory as bus drivers from SMRT Corp. (MRT) skipped work for a second day after a wage dispute, in a rare public display of labor discord in the island nation.

About 60 bus drivers didn't turn up for work this morning, some with
valid medical reasons, SMRT, Singapore's biggest subway operator that
also runs bus services, said in an e-mailed statement. SMRT said
yesterday that 102 of its drivers, all from China, didn't report for duty.

"We continue to keep our communications open with the service
leaders," SMRT said, referring to the drivers. The company is "also
working with the relevant authorities to find an amicable resolution,"
it said.

SEVERAL pieces of Singapore's legislation deal with strikes,
including those that stipulate that strikes are prohibited in the public
service.

Some general ones include the Trade Unions Act as well as the Trade Disputes Act.

The latter defines a strike, also called an industrial action, as
"the cessation of work by a body of persons employed in any trade or
industry acting in combination, or a concerted refusal...to continue to
work or to accept employment".

The SMRT bus drivers who had been on strike for the past two days,
causing delays in service, appeared to have returned to work this
morning.

Two buses picked up the drivers, who are from
China, from their Woodlands dormitory to ferry them to their respective
bus depots.

One bus left at 4am while the next departed at
5.15am, according to TODAY photojournalist Don Wong, who said that while
it was impossible for the media to do an exact headcount, all seats had
been occupied on both buses by their time of departure, suggesting a
full complement of drive

The PAP Government was probably caught with its pants down when 171
(originally quoted as 102) PRC bus drivers of SMRT suddenly refused en
masse to turn up for work on Monday 25 November because they were
unhappy with their wages.The Government demurred in calling it an
illegal strike immediately obviously because the drivers involved are
from China, a country with which the PAP leaders are ingratiating
themselves and a country not to be trifled with because of its
greatness. The irony is that if the drivers involved were Singaporeans,
the Government would not have batted an eyelid in using the
knuckleduster and arresting them for illegal strike. So when the
Ministry of Manpower was told about the "SMRT situation", it avoided
branding it an illegal strike and merely said that it takes "the
workers' actions very seriously".

The intrepid Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin probably could not
find peace of mind thniking hard how to present the drivers' action as
an illegal strike without repercussions, especially from China. So it
was not surprising that he finally summoned up enough courage, after no
doubt consultation with his political master the prime minister, to
describe the drivers' action as an illegal strike. The Government said
that the drivers would be dealt with, if found guilty. It is not hard to
see that the Acting Minister's explanation of not calling the drivers'
action at the outset as illegal strike lacks conviction.

The China factor is undoubtedly the most important consideration in the
PAP Government's deliberations in how to handle this illegal strike by
PRC drivers .Netizens in China are out in full force accusing the
Singapore Government of discriminating against PRC workers. And China
has asked Singapore to safeguard the rights and interests of Chinese
workers according to local laws. The Chinese mainstream media are
probably holding back comments waiting for a cue from the Chinese
Government. So that should be sufficient premonition for the PAP
Government to take note on how to deal with the PRC drivers without
incurring the wrath of Great China.

We have the government exhorting Singaporeans not to be
xenophobic, but on the other hand, we have a GLC practicing wage
discrimination along nationalistic lines in the most blatant fashion.
This is sheer hypocrisy.

As it is, bus drivers employed in Singapore already rank lowest among
developed countries in terms of pay. Hence, this episode illustrates
perfectly well that the huge influx of foreigners is all about giving
corporations and GLCs a gold mine of cheap labour at the expense of the
livelihoods of Singaporeans.

The impotent National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) also added nothing
of substance, apart from rehashing motherhood statements about the need
for proper ways of dealing with disagreements or the need to maintain an
open line of communication with workers, especially those who are not
union members.

It's official. For the second day running, the strike is on. After
SMRT's packet of lies (the strikers on Monday numbered 171, not 102), 88
drivers from China stood their ground for their right of protest.

While the ex-army officer (Desmond Kuek was the 6th Chief of Defence
Force of the Singapore Armed Forces) they hired to run SMRT is taking
cover in his bunker, another ex-general tried to explain why it took him
so long to understand the meaning of the word "strike". He probably
had to ask permission from the boss first. "Sir! Permission to think,
Sir!"

Brigadier General and Acting Minister of Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin said it
took a whole day for the Government to call the protest a strike
because,

I was aghast when parliament approved the $1.1 billion (Bus Service
Enhancement Programme) of taxpayers money to be given the bus companies
to improve bus services.

We cannot help the poorest of the poor in Singapore by providing them
with 3 meals in hawkers centre (No, not in food court , definitely not
in hotel restaurant!); we cannot have minimum wage for the lowest paid;
we cannot buy flats from HDB at affordable price (no, not subsidised but reasonable price at cost plus basis) BUT we can blow $1.1 billion to add comfort to the two public transport operators.

Now I am devastated!

Red vs Red

Men In Red

Vehicles in Red

Do the 'Ang Chia's (Special Operations Command vehicles) still
intimidate? Or are they merely 'toys' to PRCs because PRCs did messed
around with tanks in Tiananmen Square previously?

FOR the first time, Acting Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin
yesterday called the no-show at work by SMRT's China-born bus drivers on
Monday and yesterday an "illegal strike". On Monday, 102 mainland
Chinese SMRT bus drivers staged a protest at ...

SINGAPORE - The Government sharply rebuked the SMRT bus drivers who
refused to return to work yesterday, a day after they had staged a
similar protest, saying they had "clearly crossed the line" by staging
an illegal strike. Chastising them for "taking ...

SINGAPORE - For the first time yesterday, the word "strike" was used to
describe the actions of the SMRT bus drivers who refused to work in
protest against salary increments. The absence of the word from media
reports led to questions from members of the ...

Acting Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin has called the actions of a
group of SMRT bus drivers that refused to show up for work an illegal
strike. - PHOTO: ST. Acting Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin has
called the actions of a group of SMRT bus ...

SINGAPORE, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Strikes are illegal for workers in
essential services, unless they give the employer 14 days' notice of an
intent to go on strike, and comply with requirements of the notice, said
Acting Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin.

SINGAPORE - Acting Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin said today the
no-show at work by SMRT's bus drivers from China is an "illegal strike".
He said workers of essential services have to give 14 days' notice to
their employers and must comply with ...

Wednesday, 28 November 2012

This is our ST tactic of calling the industrial action by PRC bus
drivers working for SMRT a strike without being responsible for saying
so after inviting the ire of readers.

Strike is such a taboo word. Everyone is afraid of what it might invite
to their careers and business if they would be brave enough to call this
a strike. Even the foreign media was extremely careful. Netizens and
bloggers couldn't care less. Just as in days of a bygone era, Chinese on
the streets made fun of high ranking mandarins calling a spade a spade.
Junior mandarins and the well connected kept a low profile and distance
themselves. Emperors were protected only because you could lose your
head for telling as it was.

That's life. Only the kid thought nothing wrong of telling the emperor
he had no clothes! What ST had done is to give us a picture of what a
nude person looks like and let us judge if we are seeing a naked fellow
for ourselves.

102 SMRT bus
drivers, all China nationals, refused to turn up for work on Monday over
pay dispute, and on Tuesday morning, over half of those involved did
not show up for work again.

There's been a lot of talk about why
the media and even the Manpower Ministry and SMRT have not been calling
the wage protest a strike.

Instead, terms like "sit-in", "sit-out", "protest", "did not show up for work" were used.read more

Singapore bus firm hit by second day of strike action - BBC News

BBC News, 27 Nov 2012
Singapore bus and underground railway company SMRT has said that strike
action taken by some of its bus drivers over wages has gone into a
second day.

The company said that some 60 drivers, all of whom were recruited from China, failed to turn up for work on Tuesday.

This follows similar action on Monday, when the company said that more than 100 drivers failed to turn up for work.Industrial action does not happen very often in Singapore, and the last major strike took place in 1986. Full story

Singapore police stood watch at a
workers’ dormitory as bus drivers from SMRT Corp. (MRT) skipped work
for a second day after a wage dispute, in a rare public display
of industrial discord in the island nation.

About 60 bus drivers didn’t turn up for work this morning,
some with valid medical reasons, SMRT, Singapore’s biggest
subway operator that also runs bus services, said in an e-mailed
statement. SMRT said yesterday that 102 of its drivers, all from
China, didn’t report for duty.

“We continue to keep our communications open with the
service leaders,” SMRT said, referring to the drivers. The
company is “also working with the relevant authorities to find
an amicable resolution,” it said.

At least 100 Chinese bus drivers in Singapore
refused to go to work on Monday to protest against changes to their
employment terms, media said, in a rare show of defiance in a city-state
where industrial action is almost unheard of.

The
drivers, employed by public transport operator SMRT Corp, were unhappy
about having to switch to a six-day work-week with higher pay from a
five-day week. The change meant less opportunity to earn overtime pay,
the Chinese-language Lianhe Zaobao newspaper reported on its website.

Pictures
published by Shin Min Daily News, another Chinese-language paper,
showed drivers gathered on the grounds of a dormitory where they live,
with policemen and vehicles belonging to riot police around the
premises.

More than 100 Chinese bus drivers working in Singapore took medical
leave and refused to go to work on Monday over differences in a recent
pay rise.

The online edition of local newpapers said the bus drivers employed
by local public transport operator SMRT were unhappy that the Malaysian
drivers received a pay increase of 275 Singapore dollars (225 U.S.
dollars) with one month bonus pay, while the Chinese drivers got an
increase of 75 Singapore dollars without any bonus.

One of the drivers said a change from five work days to six also
means they earn less in wages for over-time work. They also complained
about the poor conditions at their dormitory and deductions from their
wages for medical leaves

At least 100 Chinese bus drivers in Singapore refused to go to work
today to protest against changes to their employment terms, media said,
in a rare show of defiance in a city-state where industrial action is
almost unheard of

The drivers, employed by public transport operator SMRT Corp, were
unhappy about having to switch to a six-day work-week with higher pay
from a five-day week. The change meant less opportunity to earn overtime
pay, the Chinese-language Lianhe Zaobao newspaper reported on its
website.

Pictures published by Shin Min Daily News, another Chinese-language
paper, showed drivers gathered on the grounds of a dormitory where they
live, with policemen and vehicles belonging to riot police around the
premises

Report says 60 SMRT PRC bus drivers did not show up for work this morning

Hardwarezone Forum, 27 Nov 2012

LinkCriminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act (Singapore)
Part III prohibits strikes and lock-outs in the electricity, gas and
water service industries. It also renders illegal such actions taken in
respect of other essential services unless 14 days' notice has been given, or during the course of proceedings taken to resolve trade disputes. [Link]

Over 100 SMRT's PRC bus drivers went on strike on Monday morning over wage dispute, riot police called in

Yahoo! News Singapore, 26 Nov 2012

Over 100 SMRT bus drivers from China went on a full-day strike on
Monday, protesting a disparity in salary between them and other foreign
bus captains.

According to SMRT, 102 bus captains failed to turn up for work. Drivers
staying at dormitories in Woodlands were joined by roughly 50 to 60
others housed at dormitories in Serangoon from as early as before 8am,
assembling in an open area outside before SMRT staff arrived to
negotiate with them.

Police deployed several crowd control vehicles to the area throughout
the day as well, with four special operations command vehicles spotted
leaving the area at about 5:30pm. Full story

Some 60 SMRT bus drivers
didn’t show up for work this morning and stayed in their dormitory. They
were part of the 102 bus drivers who were involved in a protest
regarding pay-related matters yesterday.

SMRT's chinese bus drivers air their grievances online before going on strike

TR Emeritus, 26 Nov 2012
It has been reported by netizens that the SMRT PRC bus drivers had
actually published their grievances online earlier, late yesterday night
(25 Nov) at about 11pm before they went on strike this morning (26
Nov). That is, they “refused to start work” this morning.

The title of the posting uses a provocative heading, “PRC bus drivers
have awakened”. It was supposed to be originally posted on Baidu website
but was deleted. It was then posted on a popular PRC website in
Singapore, Sgchinese...Full story

SMRT bus drivers publish their grievances online before they go on strike

t has been reported by netizens that the SMRT PRC bus drivers had
actually published their grievances online earlier, late yesterday night
(25 Nov) at about 11pm before they went on strike this morning (26
Nov). That is, they “refused to start work” this morning.

The title of the posting uses a provocative heading, “PRC bus drivers
have awakened”. It was supposed to be originally posted on Baidu
website but was deleted. It was then posted on a popular PRC website in
Singapore, Sgchinese:http://bbs.sgchinese.net/thread-6091945-1-1.html

SMRT has a total of about 400 Bus Drivers coming from China which is about 1/3 of their total staff strength for Bus Drivers.

For many years, excluding the 13th month bonus which you are only
entitled to after working for a min. of 12 months, China Staff salary
have been a lot lower than staff from other countries. The last
increment of $50 SGD was still considered reasonable but at the same
time, the company also increased the workload of the bus drivers by
multiple fold. Everyday, the buses have to be inspected in perfect
condition and it seems that instead of a pay increment, they are using
the extra $50 as an excuse to increase workload that is worth a lot more
than the $50 SGD. This is exactly like the behaviour of a boss for a
small store and not of a big company/organization.

SMRT drivers on strike. Big news, huh? Not really, it was coming our way all along. A break point would be hit sometime.
This is something we have not seen in many years. The last strike was
sanctioned by the govt through PAP’s proxy, NTUC. The last time we had
unsanctioned strikes on a regular basis was in the 1950s. Again, it was
staged by the bus companies’ workers.

About 200 SMRT bus drivers refused to go to work early Monday morning
and instead assembled at their dormitory in Woodlands. — PHOTO: SHIN MIN

About 200 SMRT bus drivers refused to go to work early Monday morning and instead assembled at their dormitory in Woodlands.

The drivers, who are Chinese nationals, were unhappy about the
recent pay increase that Malaysian drivers had received, reported
Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News.Malaysian drivers got a $275 increment and a month’s bonus, while Chinese nationals were paid $75 extra without any bonus.An SMRT human resource executive
was called in to resolve the dispute but when the discussion came to a
standstill, police with their riot vans were called.

With regard to the industrial action carried out by the SMRT PRC bus drivers today (‘Breaking: 200 SMRT PRC bus drivers went on strike!‘,
26 Nov), the mainstream media have also published their reports.
However, they have avoided using the term ‘on strike’ in their articles.

SMRT百多中国籍司机今早拒开工
（联合早报网讯）联合早报记者魏瑜嶙报道，不满工资和住宿条件，百多名中国籍的SMRT巴士车长集体请病假，今早拒绝开工。
据一名受访车长透露，今天“请病假”的主要是来自克兰芝和兀兰车厂的车长。后来，一些宏茂桥车厂的司机也临时决定加入，目前无法确定全部有多少人。
他们聚集在兀兰员工宿舍，SMRT人员还在同他们协商。但据记者观察，现场并没有出现混乱的情况。
来自江苏王姓车长(36岁)告诉记者,
中国籍车长的基本薪水本来就比新加坡和马来西亚籍司机低，加上自从五天制改成六天制后，他们几乎没有什么加班的机会。以前一个月包括加班可赚2000多
元，现在只有1400元左右。他们也对宿舍环境差和请病假必须扣薪水的做法表示不满。
(联合早报网讯）联合早报记者魏瑜嶙报道，不满工资和住宿条件，百多名中国籍的SMRT巴士车长集体请病假，今早拒绝开工。Translation (provided by http://repolitlebijou.blogspot.sg):Unsatisfied with their salary and living conditions of their
accomodation, 100 + SMRT Bus Captains who originated from China applied
for Sick Leave and refused to start work today.According to one of the Bus Captains, the people who applied for
Sick Leave today are mainly from Kranji and Woodlands bus routes but
later on, some of the bus captains from the Ang Mo Kio bus route also
decided to join in. Right now, they are unable to determine how many
people are involved in this “strike”.The Bus Captains are now gathering in their Woodlands Staff
Quarters and SMRT people are currently engaged in discussions with them.
There is no disorder or unruly behaviour for now as observed by the
reporter.A bus captain from Jiangsu Province
(36 years of age) revealed to the reporter that originally, the Bus
Captains from China already have lower pay than those from Singapore and
Malaysia. Furthermore, after their official working days were changed
to 6 working days instead of 5, they now have even lesser chance to earn
Overtime (“OT”) pay. In the past, they could still manage to earn 2000
over Singapore dollars but now only around 1400 Singapore dollars. The
living conditions are also bad and if they do apply for Sick Leave,
their salary will be docked. These are also part of the main reasons why
they are unhappy with the SMRT Management besides the salary issue.

The Straits Times reported with this heading, ‘200 SMRT bus drivers
refuse to go to work over pay issue’. Again, there is no mention of the
word ’strike’ in their report, only that the bus drivers “refuse” to go
to work over pay issue:

A group of bus drivers seen leaving their Woodlands dormitory on the
evening of Nov 26, 2012. SMRT released a statement apologising to
commuters and the public on Nov 26, 2012. -- ST PHOTO: RAJ NADARAJAN

Transport operator SMRT has just released this statement on the
mainland Chinese bus drivers who did not turn up for work this morning:

"This morning, 102 of our Service Leaders (SLs) for our buses who
were recruited from China (PRC) did not show up for work. As a result of
their absence, a number of our bus services were affected. We apologise
to commuters and the public who were inconvenienced by the affected bus
services.

In recent salary adjustments for our SLs, SMRT gave salary increment
to all SLs who joined the company before July 2012. These 102 PRC SLs
were not happy with their increment. We regret that they chose to
express their unhappiness about their salaries in this manner,
especially when our lines of communication with them are always open.read more

PRC bus drivers on strike!

[Photo via SPH]

Wah, 200 PRC SMRT bus drivers went on strike and the riot police were called in.Mainstream media seems slow in reporting this leh. I so far only see TODAY reporting it. Maybe they must double confirm first. Maybe it is not a "strike" but an "unhappy gathering".

CNA's headline is: "SMRT bus drivers who refused to go to work in talks with management". In other news, the RSAF is rumoured to be renaming their F15 fighter jet to F15 "Refuse to go to work over pay issue" Eagle.

Maybe the foreign drivers nair watch this video of LKY when he dealt
with the 1980 Singapore Airlines Pilots' Association work-to-rule action
and kicked everybody's ass.

The National Transport Workers' Union (NTWU) has issued a press
statement on the SMRT bus drivers' dispute. The union said that it does
not have the legal mandate to represent the PRC bus workers of SMRT as they are not union members.

Yes, the big hypocritical talk by our PAPpy leaders about integration of
foreigners in our land, goading Sinkies to accept them is all one big
fat bull. When it comes to their own organisations, they run far far
away from the issue!

Yesterday's strike staged by SMRT drivers, who make up of mainland
Chinese, was an eye-opener in more ways than one. In my opinion, the
biggest eye-opener is the hypocritical attitude the govt has towards
foreigners themselves.

First, the latest details available on the development. The industrial
action began at the crack of dawn when 103 disgruntled SMRT bus drivers
congregated illegally at their Woodlands Depot dormitory on Monday at 4
am. Lest we forget, the amended Singapore law determines that one lone
standing person can constitute an illegal assembly. They steadfastly
refused to board the buses provided by their employer to ferry them to
their contractual work obligations. Instead of being arrested for their
audacious affront to authority they were merely "given until noon by
SMRT to return to work". Another 60 SMRT workers from the Serangoon
dormitory arrived to join the picket, which could explain the earlier
report of 200 belligerent Chinese nationals on site. The "talks" ended
at 6 pm, with no agreement reached. Zorro, with or without mask or cape,
was nowhere in sight.

"We're not comparing our salaries with the Singaporeans. We just wanted
to be treated fairly like all the other foreigners," was the quote
attributed to one of the strikers. One PRC national from Jiangsu
Province told Chinese media Zaobao that the bus captains from China are
paid less than those from Singapore and Malaysia.

The one day strike by the PRC drivers for SMRT buses caused a stir like a
storm in a tea cup. It was greeted with cheers when it was announced.
It was something that no one thought would happen in this peaceful and
richest island in the world. It was more entertaining than anything else
and with SMRT involved, gave it a more hilarious twist.

What was the issue for the strike. According to reports, the PRC drivers
were unhappy that they were doing the same jobs as Malaysian drivers
but were paid less. If this is factually correct, then management would
have to answer for it. A word of caution, in such a situation, one must
compare apple with apple. Is the nature of work similar? Are seniority
and performance factors included? Are the PRC drivers being provided
with free or subsidized accommodation that the Malaysian drivers were
not? One has to take into account the whole compensation package and
other relevant factors into consideration before making a judgement.

One interesting point raised by the PRC drivers is that they don’t mind
being paid less than Sinkies, an acknowledgement that this is Sinkie
country. And this point is relevant. Citizenship has its advantages.
Otherwise might as well throw the piece of paper into the dustbin or
flush it down the loo.

About
200 SMRT bus drivers refused to go to work early Monday morning and
instead assembled at their dormitory in Woodlands. -- PHOTO: SHIN MIN

More than 100 SMRT bus drivers refused to go to work early Monday morning and instead assembled at their dormitory in Woodlands.

The drivers, who are Chinese nationals, were unhappy about the recent
pay increase that Malaysian drivers had received, reported Chinese
newspaper Shin Min Daily News.
Malaysian drivers got a $275 increment and a month's bonus, while Chinese nationals were paid $75 extra without any bonus.

About 100 bus drivers from China and their leaders refused to go to
work this morning because they were reportedly unhappy over pay-related
matters.

A spokesperson from SMRT, which runs a quarter of the bus fleet in
Singapore, told inSing News that the number of workers were 102, not 200
as reported by a Chinese daily earlier. The company’s management is now
in talks with them over the issue.

The drivers have not left their dormitory and SMRT personnel were
there to attend to the situation. The police and riot vehicles were also
deployed to the site in Woodlands.

The National Transport Workers' Union (NTWU) have issued the following
statement in response to today's SMRT bus drivers' dispute:

The National Transport Workers' Union (NTWU) does not have the
legal mandate to represent the PRC bus workers of SMRT as they are not
union members. We urge these workers to return to work immediately as
public transport is an essential service for the members of the public.

They should approach the Ministry of Manpower or Migrant Workers Centre
for assistance. We also urge the workers and management to work together
to resolve their disagreement.

NTWU is prepared to help in the
discussions, if the two parties welcome the involvement of the union. We
hope matters can be resolved as soon as possible so as to minimize
impact on commuters and other SMRT workers who have to put in extra
hours to cover the duties of those who do not show up for work.

SINGAPORE - SMRT confirms that 60 of the 102 drivers involved in a wage
protest yesterday did not show up for work today. A statement from SMRT
says that some 60 drivers "did not turn up for work in the morning,
some of whom have valid medical ...

Singapore police stood watch at a workers' dormitory as bus drivers
from SMRT Corp. (MRT) skipped work for a second day after a wage
dispute, in a rare public display of industrial discord in the island
nation. About 60 bus drivers didn't turn up for work this ...

THE industrial dispute between public transport operator SMRT and its
China-sourced bus drivers took a new turn Tuesday (nov27) when 60 of
them continued to stay away from work. SMRT confirmed that 60 drivers
did not show up for work, "some of whom ...

Some of the China-born bus drivers seen talking just outside the
dormitory security turnstile at Woodlands Dormitory at Woodlands Sector 1
on Nov 26, 2012. Not all the mainland Chinese bus drivers who staged a
protest on Monday seem to have returned to ...

About 100 bus drivers from China and their leaders refused to go to
work this morning because they were reportedly unhappy over pay-related
matters. A spokesperson from SMRT, which runs a quarter of the bus fleet
in Singapore, told inSing News that the ...

ABOUT 200 SMRT bus drivers refused to go to work and instead assembled
at their dormitory in Woodlands. The drivers, who are Chinese nationals,
were unhappy about the recent pay increase that Malaysian drivers had
received, reported Chinese ...

The Woodlands dormitory where the bus drivers live. Salary and cramped
living conditions are the main grouses of SMRT's bus drivers from
mainland China who didn't turn up for work on Monday. -- ST PHOTO: RAJ
NADARAJAN. By Royston Sim. Salary and ...

About 200 SMRT bus drivers refused to go to work early Monday morning
and instead assembled at their dormitory in Woodlands. -- PHOTO: SHIN
MIN. About 200 SMRT bus drivers refused to go to work early Monday
morning and instead assembled at their ...

SINGAPORE - In the first incident of its kind in over two decades, 102
SMRT bus drivers yesterday staged an industrial action by refusing to
get behind the wheel, disrupting commutes for some and forcing other
employees of the company to do extra duty.

More than 100 mainland Chinese bus drivers in Singapore refused to work
on Monday in a rare case of labour mass action in the city-state.
Policemen stand by the entrance to a foreign workers' dormitory in
Singapore on November 26. More than 100 ...

"The National Transport Workers' Union (NTWU) does not have the legal
mandate to represent the People's Republic of China bus workers of SMRT
as they are not union members. RELATED STORIES. SMRT's bus drivers say
they are unhappy with salary ...

SINGAPORE - At least 100 Chinese bus drivers in Singapore refused to go
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This morning, 102 of our Service Leaders (SLs) for our buses who were
recruited from China (PRC) did not show up for work. As a result of
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SINGAPORE: Talks between SMRT management and its 102 bus drivers who
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SINGAPORE - Public transport provider SMRT said that it is in talks
with its bus drivers who refused to go to work today. A spokesman for
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SINGAPORE, Nov. 26 — About 100 Chinese bus drivers working in Singapore
agreed to return to work Monday after their employer said it would
consider their demand for an equal pay rise with other foreign drivers.
The 102 Chinese bus drivers working with ...

More than 100 Chinese bus drivers working in Singapore took medical
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NOV 26 — Recently, Singapore MRT started making English and Chinese
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